Having waited eight years to get back into the state tournament, Section III Class A field hockey champion Cicero-North Syracuse was eager to do something big.
And there was some precedence from which to draw some inspiration. The last time the Northstars made it this far, in 2006, it advanced all the way to the state championship game at what is now NBT Bank Stadium before falling to Lakeland.
So C-NS, winners of 13 of 14 games following an 0-4 start, went to Schuylerville High School, east of Albany, for Wednesday afternoon’s regional game against Section II champion Saratoga Springs, and nearly got it to overtime – but had to settle for a 2-1 defeat to the Blue Streaks.
It was yet another long road trip for the Northstars, something it was used to since it played nothing but road games until early October. Thus, the adjustment period that may have tripped up other teams didn’t bother C-NS one bit.
Despite having to play some defense in the early going, the Northstars did make a series of pushes, and converted one of them eight minutes into the first half when Marie Aloi, well-positioned in front of the net, got a stick on Megan Caveny’s pass and deflected it past Saratoga goalie Sam Geils.
Over the course of the next 10 minutes, the Northstars reverted to defensive mode, which worked for a while. But the Blue Streaks tied it with 9:29 left in the half when Mimi Liebers, amid a scramble, got a pass from Carley Barnes and poked a shot that eluded C-NS goalie Julia Lantry.
Despite the constant defensive work, C-NS kept the game 1-1 going to halftime, and throughout the second half played superb defense to maintain that tie. Four times, Saratoga had penalty corners, bur the Northstars turned them away, Lantry making a stick save on Sam Petruzzo’s shot midway through the half.
As time wound down in regulation, the game got more physical. C-NS received a yellow card, only to have the Blue Streaks draw a card, too, with 2:43 to play, leaving the sides at even strength and hurtling toward a possible seven-on-seven overtime session.
But with 2:26 left, mere seconds after the Saratoga card, the Blue Streaks attacked again, and passes from Liebers and Maggie Conway gave an open look to Barnes, who sent it past Lantry for what proved to be the game-winner.
As Saratoga advanced to face Maine-Endwell in the regional finals, C-NS faced the end of its memorable 13-6 season, which started 0-4 and included all of those road games before a long hot streak led to end of a longer sectional title drought.
Even better for head coach Pat Kennedy, just four seniors – Aloi and Caveny, plus defenders McKenna Burgwin and Shannon Dengos – graduate. Everyone else could return in 2015, steeled by this year’s experiences, with more glory in mind.
